What to do if you could not crack MBBS entrance exam?

June 18, 2012

So you appeared for medical entrance exams (AIPMT, AFMC etc.) and did not get through? Have a heart, it is probably one of the hardest feat to achieve. Competition is huge, paper is lengthy and syllabus is enormous. For many aspirants, success does not come in the first attempt and a much larger number of students think about dropping a year for reappearing medical entrance exams than those for engineering.

Why would you need to drop a year?
Why would you need to drop a year in the first place?

You could not crack the entrance and make it through the cut-off and a huge number of students fall in this category.

You got the admission but not in a government college or you got the dental program.

Board exams and entrance preparation is hard and you realized that earlier and decided to focus on board exams in class 12

"I want to be a doctor" feeling is usually very strong in many people that leads to the decision of dropping a year. However, lets see what could be some positives and negatives of dropping a year.

Benefits

You will get one whole year where you can dedicately study for your medical entrance exam and actually cover up the vast syllabus.

If you take the decision well in advance, you can give your board exams without too much stress and might likely do well in boards as well as entrance exams.

A whole of lot students reappear for medical entrance exams as commonly there are more than one re-attempt allowed so you will have a good community to help out

Disadvantages

You miss out on one year as compared to your friends who would have joined college.

It is easier said than done as one year of self study requires a lot of dedication, discipline and motivation.

As you have dropped a year the pressure for succeeding in exam will be much higher.

How will you decide?

Above mentioned reasons are some general thoughts, you might have different reasons. So take a paper any time you are in a confusion and draw a table with positives in one column and negatives in one column. Now start jotting down your reasons which can as simple as "Mom will keep scolding every day". Which ever column has significantly more points will be your decision maker.

Paste this sheet on your wall if you decide to drop as it can be a source motivation along the year.

Prepare with a degree program
You can join an alternate degree program and prepare along with college which will give you a backup option. It is even better for medical entrance exams because you can re-attempt the exam many times. This is will reduce pressure on you to perform but on the other hand might be a source of distraction, similar to school. This is where your determination and discipline will play a role again.

Drop a year or not, whatever be your decision, stick with it with full faith without any regrets. Good Luck!

Prep Talk is SimplyLearnt's way to connect with students who are preparing for their exams. We share their fears, anxieties, excitement and give great suggestions on being their best. The author is Founder and CEO of simplylearnt.com and has a passion for helping students excel in their lives. Follow us on Google Plus!